My research focus has been the effects of insufficient oxygen (hypoxia) and blood flow (ischemia) on the brain of infants born at term or near term. If severe enough, hypoxia-ischemia can lead to serious brain injury. Hypoxia-ischemia represents a condition in which brain development has been normal until the time of hypoxia-ischemia. Effective treatments could minimize the extent of injury; my research has centered on brain cooling as a potential therapy for this condition.   

The focus of my research efforts has been to function as the Principal Investigator for the Brown site of the NICHD Neonatal Research network (located at WIHRI). The network is a consortium of 15 large academic neonatal centers from across the US that pools their patients to test important concepts which typically cannot be performed in a single center. My role has been to contribute and conduct clinical studies of the Network in our NICU and Follow-Up clinic. My primary area of research within the multiple Network studies has been hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in the term infant. This injury remains an important cause of neurodevelopmental deficits during childhood and cognitive impairment at school age. I have been involved in 4 clinical trials of therapeutic hypothermia conducted by the Neonatal Research Network.  These trials involve cooling infants within 6 hours of birth, cooling between 6-24 hours after birth, longer and/or deeper cooling, and currently cooling preterm infants 33⁰ to 35⁶ weeks gestation.  .

Separate from the Network studies, I have strong interests in thermal regulation, use of the amplitude integrated EEG (aEEG) to increase our understanding of the pathogenesis of brain injury, moderate and late preterm infants, and non-invasive methods to measure brain temperature. Former fellows have been involved in the following studies: associations between placental expression of cytokines and development of BPD, a small randomized pilot clinical trial of nasal ventilation, a cross-sectional study among infants with and without BPD to determine abnormalities on aEEG, a prospective evaluation of the extent of agreement between measured end tidal CO2 and arterial pCO2, a cohort study using the aEEG as a predictor of morbidities/length of stay for infants born at 34 weeks gestation, the association between early pulmonary hypertension and the development of BPD,  the temporal sequence of changes in pulmonary artery pressure during the neonatal course for extremely preterm infants, placental pathology among infants at risk for or with newborn encephalopathy, and quality initiatives to reduce cold stress upon NICU admission. (edited: 3.17.21)

Current

• A Novel Wavelet Neurovascular Bundle for Real Time Detection of Injury in Neonatal Encephalopathy 1 R01 NS102617, (PI Lina Chalak) National Institute of Health, NIND, 07/01/2017-06/30/2022, Consultant
• Rhode Island Child Clinical Trials Collaborative, 1-UG1-HD090901, National Institute of Health, $174,166, 08/2020–07/2025, Co-Principal Investigator
• Multicenter Network of Neonatal Intensive Care Units, 5-2UG1-HD027904, National Institutes of Health, $585,878, 04/10/2021–03/31/2022, Principal Investigator
• Clinical Trial Design for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome.  8 U24 OD024957 (Co-PIs Laptook & Czynski) National Institute of Health, Subcontract, University of Arkansas, $103,526, 01/01/21-08/31/2021, Co-Principal Investigator

Past

• Multicenter Network of Neonatal Intensive Care Units, 5-2UG1-HD027904, National Institutes of Health, $1,477,829,  04/10/2016–03/31/2021, Principal Investigator
• Clinical Trial Design for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome.  8 U24 OD024957 (Co-PIs Laptook & Czynski) National Institute of Health, Subcontract, University of Arkansas, $305,848, 03/01/2018-08/31/2020, Co-Principal Investigator
• Clinical Trial Design for Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome.  8 U24 OD024957 (Co-PIs Laptook & Czynski) National Institute of Health, Subcontract, University of Arkansas, $51,763, 09/01/20-12/31/2020, Co-Principal Investigator
• Rhode Island Child Clinical Trials Collaborative, 1-UG1-HD090901, National Institute of Health, $409,656, 09/2016–08/2020, Co-Principal Investigator
• Multicenter Network of Neonatal Intensive Care Units, 5-2UG1-HD027904, National Institutes of Health, $1,477,829,  04/10/2016–03/31/2021, Principal Investigator
• Multicenter Network of Neonatal Intensive Care Units, 5-U10-HD027904, National Institutes of Health, 04/2011–03/2016, Principal Investigator
• Cerebrovascular Dysfunction in Newborns with HIE During Hypothermia and Rewarming, 1K23HD069521-A1, (PI: Lina Chalak) National Institutes of Health, 08/2012–-07/2015, Mentor of Principal Investigator
• Optimizing Hypothermia Therapy: A Pilot Study for Evaluation of the Rewarming Phase in Newborn with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy, (PI, Lina Chalak) North and Central Texas Clinical and Translational Science Initiative Pilot Grant Award Program, 06/2010-05/2011, Mentor of Principal Investigator
• Prophylactic Phenobarbital After Resolution of Neonatal Seizures, R01-HD057977, National Institutes of Health, 09/2009–11/2011, (Closed due to lack of recruitment), Site Principal Investigator
• Multicenter Network of Neonatal Intensive Care Units, 5-U10-HD027904, National Institutes of Health, 04/2006–03/2011, Principal Investigator
• Multicenter Network of Neonatal Intensive Care Units, 5-U10-HD027904, NICHD, 04/2001–03/2006, Co PI Role 2004-2006
• Comparison of ThermoTek and Cincinnati Sub-Zero Cooling Systems, ThermoTek, Inc., 10/2005–12/2005, Co-Investigator
• Multicenter Network of Neonatal Intensive Care Units, 1-U10-HD40689, National Institutes of Health 04/2001-03/2006, PI Role 2001-2003
• Thermal Modeling of the Head and Neck, CTS50222504, (PI–Yildiz Bayazitoglu), National Science Foundation, 10/2002-01/2004, Co-Investigator
• Randomized Controlled Trial of Albumin or Normal Saline on Resuscitation in an Asphyxiated Hypotensive Neonatal Model (PI: Myra Wyckoff) Neonatal Resuscitation Program, 01/2002-01/2003, Consultant
• Multicenter Network of Neonatal Intensive Care Units, 5-U10-HD21373, National Institutes of Health, 04/1999-03/2001, Co-Investigator
• Neonatal Neuroprotection Provided by Modest Hypothermia, R-411-93, United Cerebral Palsy, 10/01/1993-09/30/1995, Principal Investigator
• Is Modest Hypothermia Beneficial for Ischemic Neonatal Brain, R-411-91, United Cerebral Palsy, 10/01/1991-09/30/1993, Principal Investigator
• Fetal Hormonal Adaptation to Intrauterine Stress, 1R01-HD-20720, National Institutes of Health, 07/1986-06/1989, Co-Investigator
• Cerebrovascular and Metabolic Effects of Brain Ischemia, 1-R23-NS-22398, National Institutes of Health, 09/1985-08/1988, Principal Investigator
• Cerebral Hemodynamics of Sodium Bicarbonate in Newborn Swine, No. 83714, American Heart Association, 07/1983 – 06/1985, Principal Investigator
• Newborn Piglet Brain Blood Flow: An Evaluation of Regional Differences, 2 S07 RR05426-20 University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Biomedical Research Support Grant, 07/1981-06/1982, Principal Investigator

Phi Beta Kappa, 1972
Clark University, Worcester, MA

Samuel Karelitz Intern of the Year, 1977
Long Island Jewish-Hillside Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY

Pediatric Neurology Award, 1979
Long Island Jewish-Hillside Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY

Most Outstanding House Staff Member (1976-1979), 1979
Long Island Jewish-Hillside Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY

Faculty Teaching Award, 1984
Children's Medical Center, Dallas, TX

Master of Arts ad eundem, 2005
Brown University, Providence, RI

Selected, Best Doctors in America, 2011-2012

Selected, Best Doctors in America, 2012-2013

Texas Perinatal Association, 1981
Dallas County Medical Society, 1987
Society for Pediatric Research, 1988
Texas Pediatric Society, 1992
American Pediatric Society, 1995
Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics, 2004

2004-present   Bio Med 3674 IMS III: Human Reproduction, Growth & Development:“Drug Effects in the Mother and Fetus” (2nd Year Medical School Class) Course Director: Pediatrics: Peds-462 - Subinternship in Perinatal Medicine - NICU